Edit: Also just wanted to point out that writing a few games has in a way ruined playing games for me. I still load up a new or classic game every now and then but it's more to admire what the developers have done and not so much as to play the game. I don't really 'play' games any more.
Two other similar things ring similar to me. I was big into haunted houses when I was younger, volunteered at them and hung out around the online "haunting" community every season, and to this day visiting haunted houses is more about admiring what is being done than being scared. I recognize the animitronics from the catalog, know to expect that panel to drop, and know how that illusion is done, but I still enjoy visiting a good haunted house.
The other really sad thing, is that living in downtown Atlanta where there is a moving/tv show being filmed within a block of my place every other week it seems, I've seen the sausage being made. Knowing how long it takes to setup and shoot a scene that may only be 30 seconds in the movie, it's "ruined" watching TV shows/movies, as I can't help but think about the filming process. I was blissfully unaware how much work went into filming a simple shot of two people walking down a city street.
Knowing how it's done and how difficult it is, don't you start looking at things such as lightning, cut techniques etc. in a more informed manner?
It's not usually the same movies (or music, or games) that gets popular with the professionals in the industry is popular with regular folks, for this very reason.
A handful of maps to go through and I've completed plutonia on UV. Next, I'm probably playing Back to Saturn X ep1. It's amazing there's so much new, inspiring stuff for this old game..